Shukumei 宿命 ⋮ Sukuna Ryomen

Chapter 4

"Itadori?"

Megumi's fingers twitches slightly in anticipation. The guy doesn't know what to expect but his body prepares for the potential unforeseen.

Everyone watches intently. Even Kugisaki Nobara, as impatient as she was, seemed to have gone quiet. The girls arms come out of their cross. Her hand tightens around the handle of the hammer and the other goes to her pouch of nails that hug her at the waist.

You take a step forward and your hand reaches for Yuji's shoulder.....

"BLEEEGHHHHH!!!!"

Everyone draws their weapon.

Itadori Yuji throws his head back and then he roars with laughter, "HAHA! Gotcha."

Megumi clicks his tongue in disbelief. How could Yuji possibly find that funny? He doesn't think it should be something to joke about. Unless Yuji intends to be 'the boy who cries wolf'.

Itadori Yuji's sudden outburst made you flinch but you sigh with relief and then you laugh (just a little bit), "That scared me."

"YOU DUMBASS!" Nobara's hammer goes to Yuji's head.

The pink-haired male yowls and his hand attempts to relieve the abused area. He doesn't fight back, he knows he deserved that one.

Yuta doesn't let go of the tsuka. If anything his grip tightens. Everything seems fine. But something didn't sit well with him.

Nobara's annoyed and she's about to show Yuji just how irritated she is (and to prove a point to never mess with her). She makes haste towards you and snatches the second rotted digit from your hand. And without warning, she goes and shoves the thing, in its entirety, right into Yuji's mouth. It makes him gag again—twice as bad.

Yuji's hands go to his throat for the second time and the retching begins again. Everyone pays a little less attention. Including Yuta, who finally loosens his hold. He brings his arm back down to his side and his attention goes to you, who suddenly started to complain of a headache again.

The brown-haired girl dusts her hands. She's feeling quite proud of her ruthless act and she continues to berate the coughing Yuji, "That's what you get!"

What just happened? With a loud thud, Kugisaki Nobara falls to her knees before her body hits the floor. And then something begins to pool beneath her.

He stands tall now, with his head thrown slightly back. The hands that sat at his throat go up and the man's fingers crawl ever so slowly to his face which is bedecked with markings. He takes the deepest breath; as if this is the very first time he's taken air. He continues to feel every inch of this skin until his hands run through his hair. The curse relishes every second of it.

In this exact moment, fear had become a tangible, living force that paralyzes everyone.

"Ahh......." his voice is robust and he sighs heavily. This stretch was invigorating. He had long awaited for this revitalizing moment, "......I knew it. The light feels best in human flesh!"

The menacing aura is immeasurable. It's a cold wave that makes the hair on the back of your neck rise. Something that causes your heart to hammer beneath your chest. A deafening pulse that crushes your ear. A sudden shock that tenses the muscles. You weren't what they call afraid; whatever you—no,—everyone is currently feeling is beyond mere words. It's a crippling kind of panic that made every single person collapse to their knees with their heads pressing against the wooden floorboards—except you. Despite the dread twisting in your gut and your persistent headache, you remain standing.

".........Kugi......saki?......."

Itadori Yuji no longer stands in this room amongst his fellow sorcerers. The king of curses, Sukuna Ryomen hums with curiosity but by no means a good way. He looks at you and he wonders why you're not bowing in reverence like everyone else was.